Hello everyone, my name is Nathan Stagnaro, I am 20 years old as of this moment I am starting my internship at La Herradura language school working with and contributing to their social media accounts and general internet presence. I am currently on my second visit to Uruguay and I could not be more pleased to be here. The plan as I was told when I arrived was this: Three weeks of intensive Spanish classes followed by five weeks of interning with very few details included. Right now, I am at the end of three weeks of classes and I am beginning my internship here and I have already learned so much about the language and the culture here but I still have so much to go. Although I really did not know much about what I would be doing when I came, the thought of three weeks of intensive Spanish classes was daunting, but something I wish I had known was how relaxed and calm both my employers would be as well as the culture in general. I should say as well that this is not my first experience with Uruguay by any means. My father was born in the capital of Montevideo and moved to the United States when he was only 4-years-old and in 2013, I visited for the first time to meet cousins, aunts and uncles that I had no idea existed. At that time I didn’t speak a word of Spanish and I quickly learned that the minimal Spanish I did know was vastly different from the Spanish that is spoken in Uruguay. From that trip on, I had a fascination with the country of Uruguay. I didn’t speak the language and barely knew the culture, but something clicked for me and I felt strangely at home which is what brought me here this time around with the intention of knowing the language and people better. I found this opportunity online and for me it’s been a perfect combination of so many things that I have a passion for. Firstly, I get to be in Uruguay, which, as I mentioned earlier, has always been something I have been curious about and fascinated with. (It doesn’t hurt that I am a big futbol fan either). Secondly, with this opportunity at the school, I get a chance to create content for the school’s social media about Uruguay to share with other foreigners looking for places and information in and around Montevideo and for me nothing could be better. In the states when I mention my dad being from here or my previous visit, I get a lot of quizzical looks and questions about where it’s located and even what language is spoken. It’s amazing to me how little people where I’m from know about this great country and now it’s my job to share it with them. I couldn’t be more happy to be what I’m doing and you can follow along my trip by following the accounts of La Herradura on any one of Facebook, Instagram, YouTube,Twitter, etc. Saludos de Uruguay! – Nate